Talks programme
2026-2027
Wednesday 16th September 2026
2.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall. The History of Lakeland Dialect by Jean Scott-Smith.
Wednesday 21st October 2026
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community & Heritage Centre. More Musings of a Taphophile by Bev Brummitt.
Wednesday 18th November 2026
2.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall. The Making of the Stainmore Railway 200 Textile Panel by Anne Taylor. Anne will bring the panel for display and will be accompanied by some of the members of the Kirkby Stephen U3A crochet and creative textiles groups who also contributed to the panel.
Wednesday 9th December 2026
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre. RPHG Christmas get-together on a bring-and-share basis.
Wednesday 17th February 2027
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre. Val & Steve Fermer will give a presentation about their current research; Anne Taylor will introduce the new Upper Eden History Society online digital archive (like ours it is facilitated by Cumbria Local History Federation) and local historian Keith Cooper from Great Asby will give a talk about his current research.
Wednesday 17th March 2027
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre. Cattle Droving in Cumbria – the Whys and Wherefores of a Long-distance Trade by David Johnson.
2025-2026
Wednesday 17th September 2025
2.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: Mary’s Memories – of growing up in Newbiggin-on-Lune in the early 1900s by Jackie Wedd.
This was a revised and updated version of Jackie’s talk, which she first gave in 2019 just before lockdown. Mary originally intended her account of her early childhood in Ravenstonedale and Newbiggin-on-Lune to be for her family, but fortunately for RPHG her son Ian gave a copy to Ravenstonedale School, which was passed on to us when the school closed.
High Lane Cottages c1904
Mary’s family lived first in High Lane, moving later to Whin Cottage. Mary and her sisters attended the school which existed then in Newbiggin-on-Lune, and by linking her memories to the entries made by the Headmistress in the school logbooks, Jackie was able to give more detail about life in the Parish before and during WW1.
Using RPHG’s recent research for the Railway Women book, Jackie was also able to show more of the impact that the coming of the railway had made to a previously isolated rural area. Mary’s father William was able to use the railway to migrate to Newbiggin-on-Lune from Darlington before WW1 to work for Pratt’s the tailors, and he met his wife-to-be here who came from a farming family near Brough. After the war, when William returned from military service in India, the family chose to return to the north-east, again making use of the railway.
Wednesday 15th October 2025
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community & Heritage Centre: The Bank House 1690-1990 – A History of our Ravenstonedale House by Steve Fermer.
Steve’s talk covered 300 years of history of The Bank House in Ravenstonedale, from 1690 to 1990. The talk was divided into three sections, one section for each 100 years. The first section referenced the published history of the Westmorland “two-roomed” house, alongside the history of the unification of Scotland and England, leading to the construction of the first stone houses such as The Bank House. Early references from 1720 to the first known family who lived in the house were also explored.
The second century drew upon census data to confirm the occupants over the years and their social and family history.
The third century shared the history, supported by photos of occupants taken during the 1930s, up to more recent times. Throughout the third section, the history of The Bank House as a sub-branch of Martins Bank was woven into the story.
Wednesday 19th November 2025
2.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Weather Forecasting the Cumbrian Way by Jean Scott-Smith.
Wednesday 10th December 2025
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre
Our usual Christmas get-together, on a bring-and-share basis. We hope to show some of the slides of local scenes which have recently been donated to the archive – using historical tech of course.
Wednesday 18th February 2026
2.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: Ravenstonedale Parish in the County Archives by Anthony Hughes, an archivist based at Kendal Archives – to include a brief introduction to the County Archive Service.
Wednesday 18th March 2026
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Lime Burning and Land Improvements in the Barony of Westmorland by David Johnson.
2024-2025
Please note we are trying out having two of the following talks – in the winter months of November and February – at 2.30pm in the afternoon instead of in the evening.
18th September 2024
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre (High Chapel): All in a Day’s Work: a look at employment and working conditions in the years preceding and following the Second World War. An audio-visual presentation from Judith Shingler and Ambleside Oral History Group . They commenced recording in 1976 and now have an archive of over 450 interviews on life in Ambleside and the surrounding area.
16th October 2024
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: The Ravenstonedale Scarborough Inheritance – When There’s a Will there’s a Story: researched and presented by Val Fermer.
20th November 2024
2.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: Our Viking Inheritance: a talk by Jean Scott-Smith.
11th December 2024
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: our usual Christmas get-together for members and friends on a bring-and-share basis. There are rumours of a Quiz on local themes.
19th February 2025
2.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: From Ravenstonedale to Manchester and Beyond, researched and presented by Val Fermer.
19th March 2025
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: An illustrated “walk” from Newbiggin-on-Lune to Ravenstonedale by Caroline Morris.
2023-2024
20th September 2023
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Digging the Past – what did we discover? An illustrated talk by Dr Douglas Mitcham.
25th October 2023
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: Ravenstonedale and Newbiggin-on-Lune – then and now. An illustrated talk by Caroline Morris.
22nd November 2023
7.30pm in St Oswald’s Church, Ravenstonedale: More than a Memorial – an illustrated talk by Jackie Wedd about the surprising story of the Blanche Hewetson memorial window by Daniel Cottier in St Oswald’s Church.
13th December 2023
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre (High Chapel) – our usual Christmas get-together for members and friends on a bring-and-share basis.
17th January 2024
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: A Voyage Through Time – history notes from a cruise along the length of the River Thames by Steve Fermer.
21st February 2024
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Only Connect – 17th-Century Lady Anne Clifford and our monarchy today – a talk by Anne Taylor, Chair, Upper Eden History Society.
20th March 2024
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: West Side Story – a talk by Mike Thompson, Kirkby Stephen East Project Manager, about their Lottery-funded project to showcase the story of “our” local Stainmore Railway – the western extension of the SDLR – as part of the celebrations of the SDLR’s 200th anniversary in 2025.
2022-2023
21st September 2022
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Lakeland Dialect and its Origins by Jean Scott-Smith.
19th October 2022
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: Walking Through History – Hadrian’s Wall (Bowness to the Solway) by Maurice Steele.
16th November 2022
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: The South Durham and Lancashire Union Railway, and some side tracks by Diana Fothergill.
14th December 2022
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Christmas get-together for members and friends.
18th January 2023
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: The Fell Pony Heritage Trust by Libby Robinson.
15th February 2023
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: Further research about the history of Ravenstonedale from 550 to 1550 by Les Neal.
15th March 2023
7.30pm: unfortunately cancelled due to bad weather.
2021-2022
15th September 2021
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre (High Chapel) : The History of the Coldbeck Area of Newbiggin Angle by Les Neal.
20th October 2021
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall: Musings of a Taphophile (a tombstone tourist) by Bev Brummitt
17th November 2021
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: More Famous Fothergills by Diana Fothergill
15th December 2021
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre: our annual Christmas get-together for members and friends, which this time features a dramatised reading of a short play by Steve Fermer based on a newspaper report about the dangers of crinolines…
19th January 2022
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall – Curiosities of Castle Design – a lighthearted delve into garderobes, staircases, turrets...by Pete Brummitt
16th February 2022
7.30pm in Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall – History of the Common Land by Maurice Hall
16th March 2022
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre – Parish Millennium Projects (2) – the Map, the Book, the Embroideries, the Teatowel…by Jackie Wedd
20th April 2022
7.30pm in Ravenstonedale Community and Heritage Centre – Further History of Quaker Families in Ravenstonedale by Les Neal
Two Ravenstonedale village history walks in June which we co-led with Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership were fully booked, as was the walk on 24th July to coincide with the Millennium Field test pit demonstration by YDNPA.
2020-2021
Wednesday 21st October 2020
Who Used to Live in Your House? – Val Fermer. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune, under Covid Social Distancing rules and with the support of the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership.
18th November 2020
History of the Black Swan from 1773 to the Present Day – Val Fermer. We decided to go online and use Zoom as we were still in lockdown here in England.
2nd December 2020
History of The King’s Head – Val Fermer (on Zoom).
16th December 2020
Christmas Quiz – The Parish From Every Angle presented by Dave and Jackie Wedd (on Zoom)
20th January 2021
History of The Fat Lamb – Val Fermer (on Zoom).
17th February 2021
The Parish Millennium Map – an Offcomer’s Appreciation – Jackie Wedd (on Zoom).
17th March 2021
Famous Fothergills Part 1 – Dr John Fothergill, born 1712 – Diana Fothergill (on Zoom).
31st March 2021
An introduction to his research on the history of Quakers in Westmorland – Les Neal. (on Zoom)
21st April 2021
The history of drystone walls – Maurice Hall. (on Zoom)
2019-2020
18th September 2019
Tower House (Newbiggin-on-Lune) – History, Mysteries and Stories – Diana Fothergill. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune.
16th October 2019
Lady Anne Clifford’s Life – from Skipton to Brougham – June Hill. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune.
20th November 2019
Monks, Shepherds and Wool – Harry Hawkins. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune.
11th December 2019
Christmas get-together for members and friends. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune.
15th January 2020
If These Walls Could Talk…..- Steve Fermer. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune.
19th February 2020
Mary’s Memories – of life in Newbiggin-on-Lune during the early 20th Century – Jackie Wedd. In the Public Hall, Newbiggin-on-Lune.
18th March 2020
Who Used to Live in Your House? Val Fermer’s stories of the former inhabitants of several houses in the Parish. POSTPONED to October 2020 – see above.
2018-2019
19th September 2018
Cattle Droving Through Cumbria – Peter Roebuck.
17th October 2018
No Labour, No Food, No War – Richard Preston. In the Hall at Newbiggin-on-Lune.
21st November 2018
From the Western Front to Westmorland – soldiers from the Parish in the Great War – Val Fermer.
12th December 2018
Members and Friends – Christmas get-together
16th January 2019
Wartime Farming in the Howgills – Hilary Wilson.
20th February 2019
Newbiggin-on-Lune from Torphin (1160) to the Forrests (1910) – Les Neal. In the Hall in Newbiggin-on-Lune.
20th March 2019
Shorthorn Cattle in Ravenstonedale from the 1800s to the present day – Steve Fermer.
2017-2018
20th September 2017
Aspects of Life in Ravenstonedale c.1905-1920, seen through the picture postcard album of Lizzie Fothergill of Wray Green – Ian Carradice.
18th October 2017
The Story of the Westmorland Motorway Services – John Dunning. This talk took place in the Hall at Newbiggin-on-Lune – the first time that we have held a talk in this part of the Parish.
15th November 2017
Inside a Lakeland Farmhouse – Andy Lowe.
13th December 2017
Members and friends – Christmas get-together.
17th January 2018
Parish Hostelries, past and present. Our second talk in Newbiggin-on-Lune Village Hall.
21st February 2018
Edward Jeffrey 1898-1978 – An Artist in Ravenstonedale – Jackie Wedd
21st March 2018
Statesmen, Messuages and Tenements in Ravenstonedale Town – the changes over the last three to four hundred years – Les Neal.
2016-2017
21st September 2016
A Ravenstonedale Entrepreneur – Val Fermer
19th October 2016
Ambleside Child Survivors of the Holocaust – Trevor Avery
16th November 2016
Westmorland Maps – Dave Williams
7th December 2016
Christmas Get-together
18th January 2017
The Fortune Hunters – From Ravenstonedale to Manchester and beyond – Val Fermer
15th February 2017
Over Shap by Track, Road and Rail – Jean Scott-Smith
5th April 2017
Packhorse Days and Packhorse Ways – Janet Niepokojczycka.
2015-2016
16th September 2015
Facts and Phantoms in Upper Eden – Susan Garnett
21st October 2015
Vikings in Cumbria – Sheena Grant
18th November 2015
Markets to Supermarkets: 200 years of shopping – Dr M Winstanley. Unfortunately the speaker was unable to come due to the bad weather but Caroline Morris kindly volunteered at very short notice to show some old photos of the Parish and gave a fascinating talk. Thank you Caroline!
9th December 2015
Christmas get-together
20th January 2016
‘The Scarborough Inheritance’ – Where there’s a Will There’s a History – Val Fermer
17th February 2016
Recent Treasures from Cumbria – Ian Carradice
16th March 2016
Mardale, a Lost Lakeland Community – Jean Scott-Smith
13th April 2016
Markets to Supermarkets: 200 Years of Shopping – Dr M Winstanley (rescheduled from November 2015)
2014-2015
17th September 2014
A Woman’s Place in 17th Century Upper Eden by Margaret Gowling
Margaret Gowling’s research concentrated on the Brough and Kirkby Stephen area, and once again we were made to realise how very hard life was in past centuries for both women and men. Jobs were hard to come by, often seasonal and temporary, and families often had to travel long distances to seek work with little or no job security. Women could own nothing – even in the more prosperous classes, when a woman married, a dowry from her family would come with her; however, once she had married, the ownership of that dowry passed from her father to her husband – she never had any control over it. However, Margaret Gowling discovered while researching old Wills that those women who were left comfortably off by kind or enlightened fathers or husbands quite often became “bankers” in the local community, lending out money to relatives and to others for business purposes. So some women became powerful figures in the local community, but for others, life remained harsh.
15th October 2014
Black Settlers in Cumberland by Susan Dench
19th November 2014
The History of Kirkby Stephen Silver Band by Richard Arrowsmith
10th December 2014
Members and Friends Christmas Get-together
21st January 2015
Ravenstonedale Retailers: From Fells to Fine Furniture by Val Fermer
18th February 2015
The Origins of Place Names in Cumbria by Jean Scott-Smith
A fascinating talk tracing the development of place-names from Old English, Celtic, Icelandic and other Scandinavian roots, as well as some Roman influences. The first written record of “Ravenstonedale” is in the early 13th century, and although there are many theories as to why that became the name of the settlement, the parts of the name come from hrafn (raven) stan (stone) dalr (dale), which are all of Scandinavian origin. “Newbiggin-on-Lune” is the New Building on the River Lune (lune is from the Celtic lon). Some more local names:
- Lockholme – laukr (leeks or garlic) and holmr (water-meadow)
- Bowderdale – buo (booth or shelter) and dalr (dale or valley)
- Murthwaite – mor (moor) and thwaite (clearing)
- Scandal – skammur (short) and dalr (valley)
- Tranmoor and Tranna Hill – both refer to trani (crane-haunted)
- Uldale – ulfr (wolf – this is sometimes a personal name)
- Weasdale – wesle (Old English for weasel)
Much food for thought!
18th March 2015
Lakeland Architecture by Andy Lowe
2011-2012
The first season of talks in 2011-2012 included Wendy Hunter’s “Peep into the Past of Newbiggin-on-Lune” and Alan Clowes telling some of the history of local Quakers. Margaret Gowling gave a talk entitled “John Thompson in Ravenstonedale”, Adrian Rogan spoke about “Andrew de Harcla and the wars of Robert Bruce”, Steve and Val Fermer presented “Carver Connections to The Chantry, Canals and Cotton”, and the final talk that season was “The Upper Eden Valley in the Great War” given by Richard Wilcock.